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COTE D'IVOIRE / GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
STORY: COTE D'IVOIRE / GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
TRT: 3.12
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 DECEMBER 2009, ABIDJAN/ BOUAKE, COTE D’IVOIRE
1. Med shot, woman at market walking
2. Med shot, several women at market walking
3. Med shot, girls playing with dolls
4. Close-up, girl’s hands
5. Close-up, woman crying
6. Med shot, group of women sitting
7. Med shot, two women sitting and listening
8. Close-up, woman’s face
9. Med shot, dolls head in child’s lap
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Laeticia Bazzi, Chief, Child Protection, UNICEF:
“As a result of the political and social conflict, a cultural violence has developed, which is worsened by a weak implementation of the law. And here we have a 6 year-old girl, Marie, she was raped on her way to school. And this is just the tip of the Iceberg.”
11. Med shot, fingers of rape victim
12. SOUNDBITE (French) Marie, Rape Victim:
“I was 5 years old. I was with my girlfriend and we went to go eat at the canteen. I was on my way back home, and the man he caught me in the road. My friend left and the man said he would give me 100 francs to lay down. I laid down. He hit me. He said if I screamed he would kill me.”
13. Close-up, Marie’s family member
14. Close-up, UNICEF sexual violence poster
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Madame Fadiga, Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Family and Social Affairs:
“After the victim has been seen by the doctor and the other health works, UNICEF and others
We go to the victim, to listen to her. Because listening to the victim, letting her speak, it is very, very important.”
16. Close-up, Fadiga listening
17. Close-up, woman crying and speaking to counsellor
18. SOUNDBITE (French) Madame Fadiga, Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Family and Social Affairs:
“Less and less is the subject taboo. And the victims themselves are no longer rejected, are no longer alone. It is talked about. And there are families even who go to the appropriate establishments, to denounce what has happened.”
19. Med shot, men walking and discussing
20. Med shot, women and children standing under hut
21. Med shot, long older women sitting against wall
22. Close-up, female genital mutilation tools in woman’s hands
23. Close-up, female genital mutilation tools in woman’s hands
24. Med shot, UNICEF Country Representative standing at desk writing
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Maarit Hirvonen, UNICEF Representative to Côte d'Ivoire:
“These are very difficult issues, and any improvement that we can make takes a lot of work and a lot of time. We are working here in UNICEF with the communities, with social workers and trying to change behaviour, attitude, and reinforce the application of the law. We work with legislators and judiciary.”
26. Wide shot, girl sliding down slide on playground
While Cote d’Ivoire is steadily working towards sustainable peace, many children continue to be victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence. 25 percent of girls and women between 10 and 49 years have been victims of sexual violence at least once in their life-time.
Between 2007 and 2008, the number of reported and assisted cases of such violence increased by 149 percent in UNICEF intervention areas.
SOUNDBITE (English) Laeticia Bazzi, Chief, Child Protection, UNICEF:
“As a result of the political and social conflict, a cultural violence has developed, which is worsened by a weak implementation of the law. And here we have a 6 year-old girl, Marie, she was raped on her way to school. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
SOUNDBITE (French) Marie, Rape Victim:
“I was five years old. I was with my girlfriend and we went to go eat at the canteen. Now I was on my way back home, and the man he caught me in the road. My friend left and the man said he would give me 100 francs to lay down. I laid down. He hit me. He said if I screamed he would kill me.”
Marie’s parents were fortunately aware of the life-saving steps to take when confronted with the rape of their daughter. The provision by UNICEF and partners of access to medical and psychosocial care through the development of referral pathways has improved.
SOUNDBITE (French) Madame Fadiga, Ministry of Family and Social Affairs, Côte d'Ivoire:
“After the victim has been seen by the doctor and the other structures, UNICEF and others, we go to the victim, to listen to her. Because listening to the victim. Let her speak - it is very, very important.”
Community mobilization and sensitization campaigns urging individuals to speak out against sexual violence of all forms have increased the number of people reporting cases to authorities.”
SOUNDBITE (French) Madame Fadiga, Ministry of Family and Social Affairs, Côte d'Ivoire:
“It is becoming less and less of a taboo and the victims themselves are no longer rejected and do not feel so alone anymore. It is talked about. And there are families even who go to the appropriate establishments, to denounce what has happened.”
Despite the redeployment of the magistrates and lawyers in their working areas of origin completed earlier this year, Law enforcement is still weak and perpetrators of sexual violence and Female Genital Mutilation are too rarely denounced or taken to trial.
SOUNDBITE (English) Maarit Hirvonen, UNICEF Representative, Côte d'Ivoire:
There are a lot of difficult issues and any improvement that we can make takes a lot of work and time. We are working here in UNICEF with the communities, with social workers… and trying to change behaviour, attitude, and reinforce the application of the law. We work with legislators and judiciary.
As Cote d’Ivoire continues to move forward in restoring law and order, there is hope that the country’s children will be able to live and play without fear of violence.
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